Slope indicator



' Jan. 2, 1943,

o. B. MISZ 2,308,018 SLOPE INDICATOR Filed July 25, 194].

INVENTORZ OLIVER B. .M/sz BY A 7' TOE-NE X Patented Jan. 12, 1943 UNiTEDSTATES ?ATENT OFFICE SLOPE INDICATOR Oliver B. Misz, Bedding, Calif.

Application July 25, 1941, Serial No. 403,937

6 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in slope indicators and moreparticularly to a device for readily indicating whether a structure ispositioned at a certain predetermined inclination with respect to thehorizontal.

Another object of my invention is to provide a device of the kindcharacterized having novel improved adjusting means for bringing certainparts of the device into proper positions with re spect to one anotherin the event they become relatively disarranged, as when one or both ofthe side boards becomes warped or bent.

A further object of my invention is to, provide an improved slopeindicator of the kind characterized, having side boards, a pivoted levelarm, and nove1 means for readily adjusting th angular position of thelevel arm with respect to the side boards, and for releasably holdingthe arm in a certain adjusted position while the 'device is being used.

The present invention embodies the aforesaid improvements applied to thedevice shown and described in my co-pending application for LettersPatent entitled Slope indicator, filed May 17, 1941, Serial No. 393,948.

Other and further objects of my invention will become apparent as thefollowing description develops.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a slope indicator embodying thepreferred principles of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation, showing a part of one of the side boardsbroken away;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical section taken longitudinally through thecentral part of the device, showing the pivoted level arm and itsassociated elements in elevation;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged top plan of the central part of the device;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the means used to pivotally andadjustably mount the level arm on the side boards;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 6-E of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing a fragmentary part of the level armand the adjustable slide indicator mounted thereon.

Referring to the drawing, the numerals I and 2 designate two elongatedside boards or members attached together by screws, glue'or othersuitable means. The side boards are centrally cut away to provide avertical elongated slot 3 within which a level arm 4 is pivotallymounted.

The level arm is pivotally supported at one of its ends by thefollowing: A pin 5 extends across the vertical slot 3 and is imbedded atits ends in the side boards I and 2. An elongated U-shaped bracket 6slidably supports a rod 1 having a transversely disposed hole thereinthrough which the pin 5 rotatably extends. One end of the rod 1 isthreaded and slidably extends through an adjacent but spaced L-shapedbracket 8. A capstan nut 9, threaded on the rod 1, is positioned betweenthe adjacent parts of the brackets 6 and 8 and preferably in contacttherewith. The brackets 6 and 8 are secured as by screws to the levelarm 4 near one end thereof and at points along an inclined upper surfaceID. The turning of the capstan nut 9 in a certain direction causes thelevel arm 4 to be bodily moved in a certain direction with respect tothe pivot pin 5, and the turning .of the said nut in the oppositedirection causes the reverse movement of the arm.

Mounted in a suitable seat provided in the upper side of the level arm 4is a glass spirit level bulb I l which is so positioned that when thelevel arm is positioned with its upper and lower straight edgeshorizontally disposed and parallel to the straight edges of the sideboards I and 2 as shown in Fig. 3, the bubble in the bulb is in itscenter position.

The free end of the pivoted level arm 4 is preferably pointed andprovided with a curved or inclined upper edge to which a graduated stripI2 is suitably secured. The strip i2 is somewhat wider than that part ofthe lever arm to which it is attached, thereby providing projectingflanges extending outwardly beyond the opposite parallel faces of thelevel arm. The graduation marks extending along the curved strip l2 areof a certain number, and they are separated from one another by a spaceof predetermined width. The particular graduation mark commencing at theupper end of the curved strip i2 is preferably marked with a zero, andeach successive group of marks is suitably numbered.

Slidably positioned between two pair of horizontal guides l3 provided onthe opposed inner faces of the side boards is a block it, having afinger piece 14' projecting from its upper side. Rotatably carried bythe block is a grooved indicator pin l5 having an upper transversestraight edge I5 and oppositely disposed side slots within which theprotruding side flanges of the grad.- uated strip l2 are slidablypositioned. The sliding of the block I4 toward or away from the centerof the device will cause the pivotal downward I or upward movement ofthe level arm. By moving the block to a position where the zerograduation mark of the strip I 2 is in registry with the transversestraight edge of the indicator pin I5, the level arm 4 will have beenbrought to a position in which its straight edges are parallel to thestraight edges of the side boards, and in such position the bubble ofthe spirit level bulb I I will be in its center position.

The pivot pin 5, the zero graduation mark and the lower graduation markare all points on the circumference of a circle, and the curvedgraduated strip also, is preferably an are on the said circle. Theposition of the indicator pin I2 with respect to the curved graduatedstrip I2 determines the inclined position of the level arm 4. Thearrangement of the graduation marks on the curved strip I2 is accuratelypredetermined, thereby enabling one using the device to know that bybringing the indicator pin 95 to a position where its transversestraight edge registers with a certain graduation mark, the level arm4'. will be inclined at a certain angle with respect to the straightedge'oi the side boards.

An angular lug lt' preferably secured to the lower side of the sideboards I and 2" at an end thereof serves to readily position the devicein an operative position upon the rails of a railroad track.

When the device is used to determine whether a structure has a certaininclination with respect to the horizontal, the slidable block id isfirst moved to a position where the straight edge of the indicator pinI5 registers with a certain graduation mark on the curved strip i2,thereby causing the level arm 4 to be positioned at a certain angle withrespect to the straight edge or" the side boards I and 2. When thedevice is placed upon the structure, the slope of which is to bedetermined, the bubble in the spirit level bulb will readily indicate ifthe said structure has the desired degree of inclination with respect tothe horizontal.

It is, of course, understood that the curved graduated strip I2 may beformed integrallywith the pivoted level arm 4, or it may comprise aflexible or rigid pre-curved strip secured by any suitable means to thecurved upper surface of said arm. It is also to be understood that thecurved strip I2 of the level arm t'is provided with suitably spacedgraduation marks which have been so pre-arra'nged that by the adjustmentof the block I 4 and indicator pin Iiiwith respect thereto, one canreadily set the said arm at any predetermined angle with respect to thehorizontal. The graduation marks on the curved strip I2 are in realitylinear measurements indicating degrees of inclination,

When, for some reason, the side boards become warped, bent or otherwisedisfigured, and as a re sult thereof the various parts of the device aredisarranged and the bubble of the spirit level bulb Ii no longer assumesa centered position when the indicator pin I5is positioned on the zeromark of the graduated strip i2 and when the said boards are positionedwith their straight edges horizontally, the device maybe re-set or theparts brought into correct relationship by suitably manipulating thecapstan nut i3. Ordinarily the turning of the capstan nut in the properdirec tion will bodily move the level arm 4 so the bubble of the spiritlevel bulb II assumes a centered position when the side boards I and 2are'positioned with their straight edges disposed in a horizontal plane.

Grooves I1 in opposite sides of the side boards I and 2 provide fingergripping means for conveniently holding the device.

Suitable means may be employed to maintain the block I 4 in a certainfixed position after it has been moved to bring the pin I5 into registrywith a certain graduation mark on the arcuate strip I2. The frictionalengagement of the block I4 and pin I5 with the guides I3 and the stripi2, respectively, may be such that the block is normally maintained in acertain position while the device is being used to determine the slopeof a structure, or if preferred, suitable spring means capable of beingreleased by a pressure applied to the finger piece I4 may be carried bythe block and positioned to engage the guides 43 or the side boards, toreleasably hold the block in a suitable fixed position.

It may be desirable to provide a suitable plate or plates on the bottomsurface of the side boards for protection purposes, and in such an eventcare should be taken to have both ends of the boards provided withplates of equal thickness, otherwise when the device is applied to therails of a railroad track one end will be raised higher than the otherend, thereby throwing the device out of alignment.

Iiaving described my invention, what I claim 1S1 1. In a slopeindicator, an elongated member having an elongated straight edgethereon, an adjustable arm pivoted to one end of the elongated memberand movable in a plane at right angles to the straight edge, theopposite end of the said arm having a curved surface provided with aseries of pro-arranged markings thereon, a slidable indicator carried bythe elongated member and engageable with the curved surface of the arm,a spirit level bulb mounted on the arm and normall positioned so itsbubble iscen- 'tered when the arm is in a certain-relative position withrespect to the straight edge of the elongated member, and'means forbodily shifting the pivoted arm withoutchanging the position of thepivot, whereby certain partsof the device may be brought into properrelative positions when they have been disarranged.

2. In a slope indicator, an elongatedmember having an elongated straightedge thereon, an adjustable level arm pivotally mounted at one end on astationary pivot carried'by the elongated member, the said arm beingmounted to pivotally move in a plane substantially at rightangles to theplane of the straight edge; a level indicating means carried bythe arm,means atthe free end of the arm for indicating by linear measurement thedegree of inclination of the arm with respect to the straight edge ofthe'elongated member and means for bodily adjusting the level arm withrespect to the pivot.

3. In a slope indicator, an elongated member having an elongatedstraight edge thereon, an adjustable level arm pivotally secured atonejend to the elongated member and having alongitudinally disposedstraight edge thereon, the said arm being mounted to pivotally move in aplane sub stantially at right angles to the plane of" the elongatedmembers straight "edge, a level'indicating means carried by the 'arm andarranged to normally indicate when the straight edges of the level armand the elongated member are in parallel relationship with respect toone another, and a graduated arcuate'scale at the free end of the levelarm and an adjustable member engaging with the graduated scalefor-indicat-' ing in combination with the graduated scale and by linearmeasurement the difference in elevation of one end of the elongatedmember with respect to its opposite end.

4. In a slope indicator, an elongated member having an elongatedstraight edge thereon, an adjustable level arm pivotally secured at oneend to the elongated member and provided with a longitudinally disposedstraight edge, the said arm being mounted to pivotally mov in a planesubstantially at right angles to the plane of the elongated membersstraight edge, a level indicating means carried by the arm and. arrangedto normally indicate When the straight edges of the level arm and theelongated member are in parallel relationship with respect to oneanother, means at the free end of the level arm for indicating by linearmeasurement the degree of inclination of the straight edge of the armwith respect to the straight edge of the elongated member, and means forbodily adjusting the arm without changing the position of the pivot,whereby the parts of the device may be brought into proper relativepositions when they have been disarranged.

5. In a slope indicator, an elongated member having a longitudinallydisposed straight edge and a centrally disposed elongated slot, a levelarm pivotally mounted in the slot and arranged to pivotally move in aplane substantially at right angles to the plane of the straight edge ofthe elongated member, the said arm having a longitudinally disposedstraight edge, level indicating means on the level arm for indicatingwhen the level arm is in a position with its straight edge in parallelrelationship to the straight edge of the elongated member, the said armhaving an arcuate graduated strip provided at its free end, a slidableblock mounted in elongated guides provided near the free end of the armat opposite sides of the slot and disposed in substantially parallelrelation to the straight edge of the elongated member, and an indicatorpin movably carried by the block, the said pin being in engagement withthe strip and adapted to move the arm about its pivot when the block isslidably moved toward or away from the pivoted end of the arm, the saidpin and the graduated strip constituting means for indicating the degreeof inclination of the straight edge of the arm with respect to thestraight edge of the elongated member.

6. In a slope indicator, an elongated member having a longitudinallydisposed straight edge and a centrally disposed slot, a level armpivotally mounted in the slot and arranged to pivotally move in a planesubstantially at right angles to the Plane of the straight edge of theelongated member, the said arm having a longitudinally disposed straightedge, level indicating means on the level arm for indicating when thelevel arm is in a position with its straight edge in parallelrelationship to the straight edge of the elongated member, the said armhaving a graduated arcuate strip on its free end, a block slidablypositioned in the slot near the strip and mounted for movement towardand away from the pivoted end of the arm, and an indicator pin carriedby the block, the said pin being in slidable engagement with the stripand adapted to move the arm about its pivot when the block is slidablymoved, the said pin and the graduated strip constituting means forindicating the degree of inclination of the arm with respect to thestraight edge of the elongated member.

OLIVER B. MISZ.

